Three years after making his controversial presence at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal hotel in the aftermath of 26/11 attack, Ram Gopal Varma starts shooting the film based on the tragic incident. But the director still gives the unconvincing ‘I happened to be there’ explanation

Remember Ram Gopal Varma walking through the charred section of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai post the 26/11 attacks? He was accompanied with the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his actor son Riteish Deshmukh. The incident led to a big uproar and questions were asked about RGV’s insensitive recce business to make a film based on the tragic incident, especially when the city was burning. Now, three years later, the Sarkar director is all set to make the film about the ghastly attack. The film is tentatively titled 26/11 and it will recapture the military operation that was conducted to eliminate the terrorists. In a recent interview given to a leading newspaper, RGV denied that he had visited the Taj hotel as a filmmaker. “I just happened to be there. I was not part of the chief minister’s team nor was I invited by him,” he said. Now who will believe this story which is a figment of RGV’s overactive imagination! How could a film director be wandering at such a sensitive site without political intervention and influence? Obviously, there was the suspicion of seeking favours from Riteish’s father to visit the affected site and offering him a role in the film in return. But Riteish, soon to be married to Genelia D’Souza, is not going to be a part of this project we heard. RGV meanwhile, is gearing up for the project. He will be assisted by Rommel Rodrigues, the author of Kasab the face of 26/11 who – according to the director – “has an extensive and encyclopedic knowledge of the event but my film is not based on his book”. RGV also said in a statement, “After my tryst with the so called underworld films I would consider this film as the greatest challenge of my career.” Need we say more?